Fox to Broadcast Thursday Night Football and NFL Draft for Next Five Seasons

[FortressX]

Looks like the players union is going to have to force this issue.

Thursday Night Football is changing networks once again.

The NFL announced Wednesday morning that the package will go to Fox for the next five seasons. Sources say the contract -- which entitles Fox to broadcast 11 games on Thursday each season from Week 4 to Week 15, not including Thanksgiving night -- is worth an average of more than $660 million a year.

Fox gets Thursday Night Football through '22

 

[FortressX]

OK.
I guess televising the draft was part of this deal also.
Didn't know that.

The draft is coming to FOX. For at least five years, according to John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal.

The duration hardly is coincidental; FOX recently secured the rights to Thursday Night Football for the next five years. Per Ourand, the price for televising the draft is built into the overall price paid by FOX for the TNF rights.

FOX will simulcast NFL Network’s Thursday, consisting of the first round, and Friday coverage, which includes rounds two and three. It’s unclear what will happen on Saturday for rounds four through seven. Per Ourand, FOX has commitments for the third day of the 2018 draft, and it may not be able to adjust them.

FOX will televise draft for five years

 

[Kontradiction]

Two things I generally don't watch live anymore. I'm okay with that.

 

[Froob]

Bleh, would much prefer CBS with Romo.

 

[Joey007]

Who will do the draft coverage? I wouldn’t doubt they’ll put Glazer as the inside scoop guy.

Won’t lie I’m a little scared to find out who they’ll have on the panel.. probably will be some dumb unqualified guys like Doug Gottlieb and Rob Parker who have no idea what they’re talking abouut.

 

[Tuck]

Another reason not to watch Thursday Night Football.

 

[jah]

Fox has definitely improved their football presentation in recent years but they're still far, far behind CBS and NBC.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Great. Now I can watch the games on my over the air antenna.

 

[Joey007]

Bring back football on TNT.

 

[lancerman]

Literally every network was bidding millions for Thursday Night. It's not going away.

 

[FortressX]

Sadly you are correct.

Four groups still vying for streaming TNF rights.
Report: Tech giants in contention for NFL streaming rights

 

[brdmaverick]

Wow, committing to 5 more years of Thursday Night Football? Crazy

 

[XLIX]

Interesting how this contract extends past the current CBA.

If the NFLPA had any sack, they'd use it as a serious negotiating tool. I wish they'd threaten to simply no longer show up on Thursday's. Too bad the union can't stand together for 2 seconds.

 

[bbobbo]

Looks like the players union is going to have to force this issue.


Fox gets Thursday Night Football through '22

Interesting how this contract extends past the current CBA.

If the NFLPA had any sack, they'd use it as a serious negotiating tool. I wish they'd threaten to simply no longer show up on Thursday's. Too bad the union can't stand together for 2 seconds.

the players get 47% of all revenues, so getting rid of TNF means $52m/year less for them. maybe the NFLPA could negotiate to get a larger share of TNF revenues, but getting rid of it altogether? i don't see it.
.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

 

[Nikolai]

Great! I always thought that the one way to improve Thursday Night Football was with more robots!

 

[luuked]

Wow, committing to 5 more years of Thursday Night Football? Crazy

I am sure that in the end this will be used by the league as a bargaining chip to make the season longer. Just adding a second BYE week and increasing the number of game weeks by one would most probably increase their revenue more than TNF games. I still think that a 18 game season with 20 weeks of games is the ultimate goal of RG & co. Not saying I am in favor of it.

 

[1960Pats]

Thanks for the warnings.

 

[brdmaverick]

I am sure that in the end this will be used by the league as a bargaining chip to make the season longer. Just adding a second BYE week and increasing the number of game weeks by one would most probably increase their revenue more than TNF games. I still think that a 18 game season with 20 weeks of games is the ultimate goal of RG & co. Not saying I am in favor of it.

And add in 16 playoffs teams (instead of 12).

 

[luuked]

And add in 16 playoffs teams (instead of 12).

Sure. It is the Whatever keeps more eyeballs on the games doctrine. More teams in the playoffs means a higher chance of meaningful games late in the regular season.. also increases the chances of the big markets to make it..

No matter how your personal feelings towards all of this is it really feels inevitable..